Based on the report, I shared some tips in my blog on what hospitality businesses can do to outperform the competition. My two cents – priorities 1. Work out who our customers are? Let's make a list, segment and focus on the biggest spenders within our target audiences (families, couples, locals, corporates etc.) 2. How can I get my customers to spend more at my business? Build loyalty mechanics - cards, memberships, personalised offers. Repeat customers lower your marketing costs and increase life-time value for each customer. 3. How to stand out among the competition? Invest in differentiated positioning (tell your unique story, use strong visuals, and create distinct offers). 4. Push your best offer first - the one that brings the most revenue with the least effort, quickly. 5. Whatever we do, keep it super simple and repeat it often across paid ads and free social content. If you need help with any of the above, ask. I am here to help. My full blog article is here: https://blog.shopographic.com/hospitality-marketing/what-the-latest-nz-hospitality-industry-report-tells-us-about-marketing/

Is it even possible to "save" on marketing? In my view, it's not about cutting marketing - it's about shifting focus. ❌ Forget posting endlessly on socials (if time and resources are limited). Double down on what generates revenue right now: ✅ Drive more foot traffic, get more guests. ✅ Keep more money in your pocket when they spend (protect margins). ✅ Get guests to spend more - and come back again. I've broken these down into practical, no-B.S. steps in my latest post. https://blog.shopographic.com/hospitality-marketing/how-hospitality-businesses-can-save-on-marketing-during-a-recession/

The following equation: if experience = poor, then return = 0. The guest experience (or customer experience) is a long process with many moving parts. It's not just one thing on one occasion. So, how should we optimise it? Well, step by step, really. But start with the most effective points. There are two moments that matter most. These are incredibly effective, yet few hospo businesses do it well: 🤌 An excited hello. 🤌 A memorable goodbye. Even if something goes wrong during service, a strong ending can reset the experience. Psychological research shows our brains tend to focus on the high points - and the ending. Make that ending positive. An excited hello sets the mood before the experience even begins. I especially like it when we arrive at a restaurant and are served something small (e.g., a little plate of nachos, as shown in the image below), and when, at the end of the evening, they give us something, like a small chocolate or a taster from their dessert. ✨ Small, affordable touches can work wonders in guests' minds - and they're incredibly effective. Customer experience currently offers a greater advantage than price. Someone may be cheaper, but if the experience is bad, guests won't come back. And we want to think in the long term, focusing on returning customers. What's the best guest experience you've had at a café, restaurant, or hotel? Share it in the comments 👇

I was working on a project for a client. In this case, I was managing their Google Business Profile and newsletter service, sending out review request messages on behalf of my client to boost their Google Business Profile. (If someone does not know, reviews are the most effective marketing strategy to boost one's business locally. The lowest hanging fruit with the most significant marketing return.) We emailed ~340 customers, and only about 4% actually left a review. Shockingly low. One of those, however, was a 1-star. No comment, no reason - just a single star. Here's what I did: - First, I replied publicly on their Google Business Profile in a kind, polite way. I simply asked them to share why they weren't happy so we could improve. - No response for a week. - Then I checked their details in the webshop, found their email, and reached out privately - same polite, curious tone. The next day… the review had changed to a 5-star. Still no explanation. 👉 The lesson: We never know why people leave bad reviews. Sometimes it's a mistake, sometimes it's frustration, sometimes it's something we can fix. But it's always worth following up. That single act turned a public 1-star into a glowing 5-star. Let's always reply to ALL reviews. Even 1-star ones. Let's always reply to negative reviews with curiosity, understanding or explanation in a way that a third person would find helpful.